Image by Aimee Custis used with permission.

Don't forget to save the date for our next happy hour in Silver Spring. Join us Tuesday, August 15 from 6 to 8 pm at Kaldi's Social House, located at 918 Silver Spring Avenue in downtown Silver Spring.

This happy hour is also a birthday party for Just Up The Pike, a blog that Dan Reed started in 2006 as a way to celebrate eastern Montgomery County and talk about the issues facing this evolving, sort-of suburban, sort-of urban place.

Kaldi's Social House is an eight-minute walk from the Silver Spring Metro station (Red Line), as well as dozens of Metrobus and Ride On routes (if you're coming from DC, you can take the 70/79 and S2/S4/S9.) There's a Capital Bikeshare stations two blocks away at Ripley and Bonifant streets. If you’re driving, there’s free parking after 7pm on the street and in the public garage in back.

Want to join us? RSVP here!

Also, check out these other great events happening this week and next.

Today, Monday, July 31: Cities are often seen as liberal havens, but why should conservatives care about cities? Join The American Conservative and the R Street Institute for a panel discussion to explore the conservative case for traditional urbanism, and outline the way forward for responsible development of our cities and towns. The event is at 5:30 pm at the Hillsdale College Kirby Center (227 Massachusetts Avenue NE).

Tuesday, August 1: The Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA), a statewide nonprofit educational organization of local and regional planning commissioners and zoning board members, wants to know how to better serve the local counties in Maryland. Come out to join the group discussion on from 5 pm to 7 pm at 8787 Georgia Avenue and tell the MPCA how they can better serve you.

Wednesday, August 2: Curious about the new and exciting bike routes in Fairfax County? Take a nice 8-mile ride along Jeff Todd Way, Telegraph Road, the Fairfax County Parkway, and Route 1 for the inaugural “Let's Ride!” event by BikeFairfax. The ride will start at 8:45 am in the parking lot of Pillar Church of Woodlawn (9001 Richmond Highway) and it will conclude back in the church parking lot in time for the ribbon cutting for the Richmond Highway Widening Dedication Event. Please RSVP to DOTbicycleprograms@fairfaxcounty.gov and don't forget to sign the waiver.

Next Tuesday, August 8: Since the ruling by Judge Leon on the Purple Line in May, there has been a fair amount of news coming out about the project. Maryland appealed the decision and then an appeals court ruled to put an emergency stay on Leon's decision, allowing the project to move forward for now. So, where does the project stand and how does it look for the future? Hear from Greg Sanders of Purple Line NOW at the Action Committee for Transit monthly meeting at 7:30 pm at the Silver Spring Civic Building (One Veterans Place).

Now through August 21: Take the Visualize 2045 survey and help transportation planners understand how residents travel throughout the DC region. The survey allows you to add markers to a map and make comments about how you would improve transportation infrastructure.